The principal river of Palestine is the Jordan, which rises in
Anti-Libanus in several streams, that unite to flow through Lake Merom,
and then through the Sea of Tiberias, or Galilee, running due south into
the Dead Sea. Several other streams flow into the Dead Sea, of which the
best known is the Kedron, that rises near Jerusalem. A similar series of
small rivers flows through the coast plains into the Mediterranean, the
principal being the Kishon and Leontes.
THE JORDAN (meaning “the descender”).--The highest source of the Jordan
is seventeen hundred feet above sea-level on the west of Mt. Hermon,
near the village of Hasbeya. The most important feature in its course
between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea is the rocky cleft known as
the Ghor, some sixty-five miles long and from three to twelve miles in
breadth, through which it passes. It then falls into the Dead Sea at a
point twelve hundred and ninety-two feet below the level of the
Mediterranean. The course of the Jordan is extremely tortuous, its total
length being about two hundred miles.
The upper reaches are much obstructed by growths of reeds and shrubs,
and though narrow it is deep, and can only be passed by the fords, of
which there are many, the most famous being that of Bethabaca, near
Jericho.
During its annual swelling it was miraculously crossed by the
Israelites, probably at the ford above mentioned. In its waters Naaman
was healed and an iron axehead made to swim. In it our Saviour was
baptized.
[Illustration: =SUPPOSED FORD OF BETHABACA, NEAR JERICHO, WHERE THE
CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CROSSED THE RIVER JORDAN ON THEIR WAY TO THE “LAND OF
PROMISE.”=]
GALILEE, SEA OF, called also in the New Testament the Lake of Gennesaret
and the Sea of Tiberias, is a large lake in the north of Palestine.
Lying six hundred and eighty-two feet below sea-level, it is thirteen
miles long by six broad, and more than eight hundred feet deep. It
occupies a great basin, and is of volcanic origin. Although the Jordan
runs into it red and turbid from the north, and many warm and brackish
springs also find their way thither, its waters are cool, clear and
sweet. In the time of Jesus the region round about the lake was the most
densely populated in Galilee.
DEAD SEA, scripturally called “Salt Sea,” “Sea of the Plains,” “Sea of
the Arabah,” is near the southern extremity of Palestine. Its length is
forty-six miles and its greatest breadth is nine and one-half (average
eight and one-half) miles. The long oval of the lake is unequally
divided by the El Lizan peninsula, of loose calcareous formation. North
of the peninsula the greatest depth is twelve hundred and seventy-eight
feet, south of that it is only three to twelve feet. It receives the
Jordan and six other rivers, but has no outlet, the surplus water being
carried off by evaporation. The water is intensely salt, with a specific
gravity one-sixth greater than water. Fish cannot live in the lake but
it has a healing reputation for lepers, and the inhabitants on the banks
are quite healthy. It is surrounded by high cliffs of bare limestone,
and masses of sulphur exposed by periodically occurring earthquakes lie
on its borders.